Bill Nagle
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Nagle was a pioneering American
wreck diver
.
(normally 130 feet in sea water). Nagle regularly dived to greater depths, and engaged in hazardous shipwreck penetration, often on previously unexplored shipwrecks.
Whilst Nagle was by no means the first diver to start diving at great depths (Sheck Exley
was generating considerable fame even before Nagle engaging in extremely deep cave diving
), it was his pioneering approach to wrecks that set him apart from other divers of his era.
In 1985 Bill Nagle led the team of divers, including Gary Gentile, Art Kirchner, Tom Packer, Mike Boring, John Moyer and Kenny Gascon, who recovered the bell of the Andrea Doria
, which had previously been thought lost and unrecoverable. The story of the recovery expedition is recounted in Gary Gentile
's book, Andrea Doria: Dive to an Era.
Bill Nagle was also one of the first people in the Northeastern United States to commence dive chartering as a full time business with the custom dive vessel, the Seeker. The Seeker specialised in taking experienced wreck divers to the more remote and dangerous wrecks in the North East. It became an extremely competitive business as diving deep wrecks became more popular, and Nagle's bitter feud with rival captain, Steve Bielenda, after the latter was designated "King of the Deep" in a feature in Time magazine is carefully chronicled in the book Shadow Divers
.
In subsequent years, diving beyond recreational diving
limits would become refined as a sport in itself, known as "technical diving
", with its own dedicated training and procedures. During Bill Nagle's prime, divers who exceeded agency specified safety limits were simply referred to as "gorilla divers". Bill Nagle died shortly before the advent of trimix became popular amongst non-professional divers, dramatically reducing the risks associated with diving deep wrecks. Today many of the wrecks that Bill Nagle first explored diving on air with outdated US Navy
Decompression tables are routinely dived by divers who have received technical training and who are breathing trimix and using modern dive computer
s.
and drug abuse
. It was this disease that ultimately took his life at the age of 41. His last great expedition was the exploration of German submarine U-869, although he was never physically able to dive on it. Nagle died before the wreck was positively identified.
His close friend, John Chatterton
refused to attend his funeral, insisting that the man inside the coffin was not his friend and associate - it was the monster who had killed Bill Nagle. Richie Kohler
, another diver closely connected with the U-869 expedition, was one of the pallbearer
s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
wreck diver
Wreck diving
Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
.
Diving
Bill Nagle was one of the earliest divers to dive regularly beyond diver training agency specified depth limits for safe deep divingDeep diving
The meaning of the term deep diving is a form of technical diving. It is defined by the level of the diver's diver training, diving equipment, breathing gas, and surface support:...
(normally 130 feet in sea water). Nagle regularly dived to greater depths, and engaged in hazardous shipwreck penetration, often on previously unexplored shipwrecks.
Whilst Nagle was by no means the first diver to start diving at great depths (Sheck Exley
Sheck Exley
-Biography:Exley is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of cave diving, writing two major books on the subject: Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival and Caverns Measureless to Man published by Cave Books, , and establishing many of the basic safety procedures used in cave and overhead...
was generating considerable fame even before Nagle engaging in extremely deep cave diving
Cave diving
Cave diving is a type of technical diving in which specialized equipment is used to enable the exploration of caves which are at least partially filled with water. In the United Kingdom it is an extension of the more common sport of caving, and in the United States an extension of the more common...
), it was his pioneering approach to wrecks that set him apart from other divers of his era.
In 1985 Bill Nagle led the team of divers, including Gary Gentile, Art Kirchner, Tom Packer, Mike Boring, John Moyer and Kenny Gascon, who recovered the bell of the Andrea Doria
SS Andrea Doria
SS Andrea Doria[p] was an ocean liner for the Italian Line home ported in Genoa, Italy, most famous for its sinking in 1956, when 46 people died. Named after the 16th-century Genoese admiral Andrea Doria, the ship had a gross register tonnage of 29,100 and a capacity of about 1,200 passengers and...
, which had previously been thought lost and unrecoverable. The story of the recovery expedition is recounted in Gary Gentile
Gary Gentile
Gary Gentile is an American author and pioneering technical diver.-Diving:Gary Gentile is a wreck diver. It has been suggested that Gary Gentile may be the most experienced wreck diver in the world...
's book, Andrea Doria: Dive to an Era.
Bill Nagle was also one of the first people in the Northeastern United States to commence dive chartering as a full time business with the custom dive vessel, the Seeker. The Seeker specialised in taking experienced wreck divers to the more remote and dangerous wrecks in the North East. It became an extremely competitive business as diving deep wrecks became more popular, and Nagle's bitter feud with rival captain, Steve Bielenda, after the latter was designated "King of the Deep" in a feature in Time magazine is carefully chronicled in the book Shadow Divers
Shadow Divers
Shadow Divers is a non-fictional recounting of the discovery of a World War II German U-Boat sixty miles off the coast of New Jersey, USA in 1991.-Overview:...
.
In subsequent years, diving beyond recreational diving
Recreational diving
Recreational diving or sport diving is a type of diving that uses SCUBA equipment for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment. In some diving circles, the term "recreational diving" is used in contradistinction to "technical diving", a more demanding aspect of the sport which requires greater levels...
limits would become refined as a sport in itself, known as "technical diving
Technical diving
Technical diving is a form of scuba diving that exceeds the scope of recreational diving...
", with its own dedicated training and procedures. During Bill Nagle's prime, divers who exceeded agency specified safety limits were simply referred to as "gorilla divers". Bill Nagle died shortly before the advent of trimix became popular amongst non-professional divers, dramatically reducing the risks associated with diving deep wrecks. Today many of the wrecks that Bill Nagle first explored diving on air with outdated US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Decompression tables are routinely dived by divers who have received technical training and who are breathing trimix and using modern dive computer
Dive computer
A dive computer or decompression meter is a device used by a scuba diver to measure the time and depth of a dive so that a safe ascent profile can be calculated and displayed so that the diver can avoid decompression sickness.- Purpose :...
s.
Alcoholism and death
The later years of Bill Nagle's life was dominated by a descent into alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
. It was this disease that ultimately took his life at the age of 41. His last great expedition was the exploration of German submarine U-869, although he was never physically able to dive on it. Nagle died before the wreck was positively identified.
His close friend, John Chatterton
John Chatterton
John Chatterton is one of the world’s most accomplished and well known wreck divers. Together with Richie Kohler, he was one of the co-hosts for the History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives where they have completed work on 57 episodes of this successful series...
refused to attend his funeral, insisting that the man inside the coffin was not his friend and associate - it was the monster who had killed Bill Nagle. Richie Kohler
Richie kohler
Richie Kohler is an experienced technical wreck diver and shipwreck historian who has been diving and exploring shipwrecks since 1980. Together with John Chatterton, Kohler was one of the co-hosts of the television series Deep Sea Detectives on the History Channel and is also a consultant for the...
, another diver closely connected with the U-869 expedition, was one of the pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
s.